Qualification to the second tier of European competition will be an unwanted prize for Spurs, who continue to chase a return to the Champions League.

But Sherwood, who sat in the dugout for what could be his final game in charge at White Hart Lane, says their final position is a fair reflection of the team’s current level.

“I don’t think I could have done any more to be perfectly honest,” said the Spurs boss.

“I’m disappointed we took some heavy defeats along the way, but I think our accumulation of points has been fair.

“I think a sixth placed finish and Europa League qualification is where we are, it’s a par finish for Tottenham.

“Obviously we want to finish in the top four, every team aspires to do that, but it’s getting a lot tougher.

“We have to be realistic. We took one of the best players in the world out of our team in Gareth Bale and we still finished in the Europa League places. Let’s ask Liverpool how they would fare without Luis Suarez.”

Recent reports have suggested Sherwood’s spell in the Tottenham hotseat is set to come to an end in the summer, though the boss said he looks forward to meeting with chairman Daniel Levy to discuss his future.

Meanwhile, with Tottenham ending the season with five academy graduates on the pitch, the 45-year-old coach insisted the club’s next manager must not neglect the club’s young talent.

He added: “Now I want to sit down with the chairman sooner rather than later and see what he wants for the future of the club.

“If it’s not going to be me [in charge] then I want someone who is going to come here and look to the youth.

“It’s far too easy for these managers, usually foreign managers, to come in and say none of the academy players are good enough.

“They need to have a look first before they judge them. Watch them play, watch them train and make a decision based on that.”